Your Housing Group (YHG), one of the UK’s largest housing providers with 28,000 homes, is set to transform the efficiency of their field force operations and customer experience with use of the FLS VISITOUR solution from FLS – FAST LEAN SMART.

Following a strategic business review that set new objectives forambitious operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction targets, YHG decided they needed a more sophisticated and robustdynamic scheduling solution that could integrate seamlessly with their Microsoft Dynamics 365 business platform and Accuserv repairs management system.

YHG AND FIX360 ARE USING FLS SOLUTIONS TO MEET BUSINESS-DRIVEN TIMESCALES AND MAKE SURE EVERY CUSTOMER CONTACT COUNTS.

The first priority is to deliver the solution for Fix360, the YHG dedicated property maintenance arm with circa 200 operatives covering the North of England, before expected progression across other business functions, for example surveyors and tenant liaison officers.

FLS was appointed to implement FLS VISITOUR after a formal tendering process with a requirement to drive forward the business ahead of the norm in the market. Darren Halliwell, YHG’s IT Director says “We did our research and were determined to find a technology and partner that aligned to our 5-year business plan and could flex and adapt as we develop and implement our wider technology roadmap. FLS have multi-sector experience and a stamp of approval from Microsoft which gave us great confidence. We were impressed by their delivery approach and speed to implementation alongside other key factors such as ease of configuration, functionally rich capabilities, customer communication and in-day progress and response accuracy and tooling. Following technical evaluation and discussion with references, including organisations in and out of sector, the FLS offering became our unanimous choice.”

Fix360 have over 3,000 categories of repair. Once a customer’s need is qualified by the call centre or via online self-service, FLS VISITOUR will provide the optimal appointment choices according to available operatives and existing commitments. This will utilise real-time optimisation, not just finding white-space to fill in the diary, with the accuracy of time-of-day traffic speeds for each journey. Each appointment will therefore be cost-effective, punctual, using operatives with the right skills and best possibility for first time fix.

Guy Bebbington, Managing Director of Fix360 says “The Fix360 Board have set ourselves challenging Customer Satisfaction and Value for Money targets and so investment in our technology stack to achieve those targets is vital. We believe FLS are absolutely the right partner for us, a real differentiator within the market. It was clear from references the quality of solution and expertise they offer, increasing field force efficiency and aiding continuous improvement in customer delight. At YHG and Fix360 we make sure every customer contact counts and this technology supports us with that. Other advantages included the speed in which we could implement and rollout to meet the business-driven timescales. We are really looking forward to working together and delivering great outcomes for our tenants in the weeks and months ahead.”

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about Fast Lean Smart on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/FLS
• Find out more more about Fast Lean Smart @ www.fastleansmart.com/en
• Learn more about Your Housing Group @ www.yourhousinggroup.co.uk
• Follow Fast Lean Smart on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/company/fls-fast-lean-smart/

In this second excerpt from a recent white paper published by IFS and Noventum, now available at Field Service News, we analyse how to deal with organisational resistance, develop internal skills and capabilities and how to use technology solutions to support effective service delivery.

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Mactavish, the specialist outsourced insurance buyer and claims resolution expert, says many commercial policyholders have faced drastic premium increases this year as insurers look to improve margins in a hardening market, sometimes of up to 800%. This is coming in addition to a greater focus on newer risks such as the increase in cyber crime that has been spurred by the pandemic and the rise of remote working.

As insurers also look to protect their reserves and minimise claims payments, Mactavish says it has also seen considerable erosion in the quality and extent of the insurance cover offered to policyholders. This is often buried in T&Cs without being flagged by either insurers or brokers, meaning that policyholders may not be aware of their increased exposure.

INSURANCE RATES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO RISE IN 2020 AND SOME COMPANIES MIGHT BE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR COVER

Market surveys are showing 34% increases in premiums across the board, but this masks a much more complex picture. Lines such as Crime, Professional Indemnity, Pension Trustees’ Liability and Directors’ and Officers’ insurance have risen far in excess of this. In addition, some industries have suffered much more than others. Firms in the construction, energy, food and beverage, travel, manufacturing and waste sectors will be experiencing particularly challenging renewals.

Mactavish warns that it expects rates to continue to rise in 2021 and says that some companies will be unable to pay for their cover, meaning they will be forced to reduce operations, lay-off employees or even go into administration.

Mactavish is one of the largest independent ‘buyers’ of commercial insurance in the UK, and this year it has helped clients cut the cost of their insurance premiums by 50% in some cases by using a unique approach that runs brokers in head-to-head competition along with their preferred insurance partners. In addition, while cost is an important area of focus, Mactavish has also improved the quality of its clients’ cover by negotiating critical changes to policy wordings.

Bruce Hepburn, CEO, Mactavish said: “For years, the insurance industry has sold its cover on the basis of price as opposed to quality and this has pushed premiums down, when in many cases they should have been higher. The insurance market is hardening now, and premiums are rising dramatically as insurers seek to make up lost ground quickly. The timing couldn’t be worse for firms that are still being battered by the economic fall-out from the pandemic. For some businesses, these unexpected cost increases could be the final nail in the coffin.”

“Aside from playing a role in pushing price increases, COVID-19 has also exacerbated many risk areas. As just one example, there has been a marked increase in cyber crime as employees moved to home-based working. This creates a double whammy effect where policyholders need to buy more insurance at precisely the moment that prices are spiking.”

Hepburn added: “While brokers naturally prefer exclusive relationships, our work shows that you get a much better outcome when there is real competitive pressure between competing suppliers. Since many brokers receive premium-linked commissions from insurers, policyholders should be wary of taking cost increases at face value.”

Mactavish cited a recent engagement in which a financial services firm had been badly let down by its broker. Even on the day its insurance was set to renew, the incumbent was unable to confirm that it had secured 100% of the capacity the firm required. Worse, a number of exclusions had crept into the policy wordings that had removed vast swathes of essential cover. Working at speed, Mactavish was able to put in place all of the required capacity, get rid of the onerous exclusions and achieve a double-digit cost saving.

Mactavish specialises in helping employers enhance their chances of securing reliable insurance policies at competitive prices, and resolving claims disputes.

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Leadership and Strategy  @ www.fieldservicenews.com/eadership-and-strategy
• Read more about Mactavish on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/mactavish
• Find out more more about Mactavish @ www.mactavishgroup.com
• Follow Mactavish on Twitter @ twitter.com/MactavishGroup
• Follow Mactavish on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/mactavish

In this new series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by IFS and Noventum, now available at Field Service News, we analyze how to productise services and set the climate for the service transformation...

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Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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As the serial crises of 2020 redefine customer engagement, customer service leaders are transforming their operations, accelerating digital transformation, and overhauling their workforce management strategies. That’s according to Salesforce’s fourth State of Service research report, released today, which provides a snapshot of the priorities, challenges, and trajectories of customer service teams around the world. This edition is based on Salesforce’s largest and most global survey of customer service agents, decision makers, mobile workers, and dispatchers: over 7,000 respondents across 33 countries.

“We knew based on our previous research that businesses no longer view their service and support operations as cost centers, but as strategic assets that benefit revenue and retention as customer expectations soar,” said Bill Patterson, EVP and GM of B2B CRM at Salesforce. This research helps us and our customers understand how the playbook is changing, and what the best teams do differently from their competitors as they move back into growth mode.” [CTT]

From the channels they use to serve customers to the spaces employees work from to the skill sets agents require, there’s not much that hasn’t changed for customer service organizations. Here are some key takeaways.

 

The pandemic has exposed customer service shortcomings, but leaders are taking decisive action

The impacts of COVID-19 were a wake up call for customer service organizations used to the status quo. As workers stayed at home and customers asked questions for which there were no answers, customer service leaders were faced with conundrums with far reaching consequences for their teams.

Eighty-eight percent of service professionals say the pandemic exposed technology gaps, and 86% say the same for service channel gaps as customers flocked away from physical locations and towards digital methods of engagement. Teams also found shortcomings that went beyond the obvious. For example, 87% realized that their existing policies and protocols — such as cancellation fees for events that were prohibited by public health measures — were not suited for current circumstances.

Faced with these challenges, service teams and their leaders are making transformations that will endure beyond the current crisis. Eighty-three percent of service organizations have changed policies to provide customers with more flexibility, for instance, and 78% have invested in new technology as a result of the pandemic.

“Leaders are taking this time to rethink the value of experiences and reimagine engagement with customers and employees alike,” said Brian Solis, Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce.”It’s not just about technology. Sometimes technology is at its best when invisible. We’re going to see significantly more agile, innovative, and relevant organizations emerge from this crisis that provide modern and sought-after experiences that change the game for everyone.”

 

Digital transformation is accelerating for customers and employees alike

A related research report shows the extent to which customers have shifted to digital, as well as how that shift is expected to persist. Consumers and business buyers estimate that six out of ten of their interactions with companies will occur online in 2021, up from 42% in 2019.

This uptick has coincided with a surge in adoption of various digital channels by service organizations. Video support saw the highest rate of increase in adoption since 2018 (+42%), followed by live chat (+35%) and messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger (+29%). Conversely, the share of organizations offering in-person service and support fell by 16%.

The digital transformation of customer service goes beyond the increased use of digital channels. Service teams also ramped up their adoption of artificial intelligence by 32% since 2018, and their adoption of chatbots shot up by 67%.

"It's never been more important to remove friction from every user experience." says Jim Roth, Executive Vice President of Customer Support at Salesforce. "In our personal lives, we so often solve issues on our own with a simple Google search. We reach out to our friends and family on our preferred communication channels, during a time that's good for us. When we interact with companies, we expect the same level of easy, seamless interactions. If a company makes it too hard for customers to engage, they may become former customers."

 

Service teams are being challenged by a new era of workforce engagement

Customer service workforces, rooted in contact centers, were spun into upheaval as stay at home orders spread across the world and social distancing became part of daily life. Over half (54%) of global customer service professionals worked from home during 2020, and only 43% expect to return to their normal workplace in 2021.

The shift to remote work has not impacted productivity as much as some may assume, with a majority (72%) of service agents agreeing they have all the tools and technology they need to work remotely. But as 54% of organizations experienced increased case volume, many of them have brought on contractors (42%) or employees from other departments (62%) to help. Just 25% of service professionals say their organizations excel at training such employees from afar, and even fewer (19%) say the same for their ability to onboard these employees in the first place.

 

Training is a focus as requisite skill sets evolve

Particularly during a crisis, the role of a customer service agent can no longer be limited to closing tickets. Agents are now expected to be knowledgeable, consultative, and above all, empathetic to customers’ unique needs and circumstances. A mix of hard and soft skills — communication, listening, and product knowledge — are in the highest demand. What’s more, service organizations accelerated their tracking of revenue more than any other metric since 2018 (up 57%), putting new expectations for sales savviness on agents’ plates.

Despite tightened budgets, service organizations by-and-large continue to invest in training programs and infrastructure, with a particularly significant bump in the share of teams with access to on-demand training (61%). Far from an entry level position, customer service agents see their roles as providing increasing opportunity even amidst an economic downturn. Sixty-seven percent of agents say they have a clear career path, up from 59% in 2018.

“You’re going to see more blurred lines between different roles moving forward,” predicted Salesforce Global Growth Evangelist Tiffani Bova. “This isn’t new, but it’s accelerating. It’s why so many companies have realized that ‘customer success’ is a more appropriate term than ‘customer service,’ especially when they’ve committed to being more customer-centric. Service has to be part of growth strategies. That’s when customer success truly has a significant impact on the bottom line.”

 

Field service is thriving, even amid a pandemic

Over the summer of 2020, Salesforce found that 70% of consumers, including 67% of Americans) still preferred in-person appointments where on-site support was a must, such as appliance repairs or internet installs, with the remainder opting for digital alternatives. Accordingly, three-quarters of decision makers with field service continue to see significant revenue from their operations and nearly seven in ten (69%) continue to make significant investments in their mobile workers through tactics such as additional hiring, training, technology investment.

Field Service News Analysis:

Having had access to a selection of the key data relating to the service sector in the UK, some additional key findings Field Service News has identified that will be of interest to Field Service Directors include: 

In response to the pandemic:

• 82% of service teams say they’ve shifted workflows/processes
• 85% of service teams say they’ve changed policies to provide more flexibility to customers
• 60% of service decision makers say they’ve invested in new service technology

Agents’ ability to find information needed to do their job:

• 83% of agents can remotely access all the data and information they need
• 57% of service teams have brought in employees from other departments to work in service and support roles
• 49% of agents see a clear path for career growth at their job
• 61% of service decision makers say they’re making significant investments in agent training

Field Service spotlight:

• 76% of service decision markets say field service is a key part of their overall strategy
• 68% of service decision makers say field service drives significant revenue for their company

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
• Read more about the impact of the pandemic on the field service sector @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
• Read more key research into the the key trends within field service sector @ https://research.fieldservicenews.com/
• Follow Salesforce on twitter @ https://twitter.com/salesforce
• Find out more about the solutions Salesforce provide to the field service sector @ https://www.salesforce.com/uk/products/service-cloud/field-service/
• Read more features and news relating to Salesforce on Field Service News @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=salesforce

 

In this final excerpt from a recent white paper published by Appify, now available at Field Service News, we break down the budgeting and division of labor...

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If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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In the third excerpt from a recent white paper published by Appify we discuss the resources and technology investments for field service....

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Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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In this final excerpt from a series featuring conversation between Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland the conversation takes a more philosphical turn as Brandeleer outlines why we should be taking the opportunity to build sustainability into the new normal...

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Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts 

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A SERVITIZED WORLD IS A SUNSTAINABLE WORLD

In a recent white paper authored by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, published in partnership with Salesforce we looked at one of the big questions as we build the new normal and we plot our route to recovery – ‘should we be redefining the very definition of what the value proposition is of field service in a world of remote service delivery, zero touch service delivery?’

Of course, in this post pandemic, new world, it's an embryonic conversation. It's early days as we find our way towards these new modes of working, but it is imperative that we, as service leaders, are having these kinds of conversations today as we all build towards recovery together.

The white paper, which is available on the button beneath this article, goes into a number of aspects of this conversation and it's designed to promote the leaders of our sector to start thinking about these kinds of conversations. To further build on this discussion Oldland invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer onto the Field Service Podcast to push that discussion further and to hear Brandeleer’’s insight reflecting on the many conversations he has had working with companies from all different parts of the world across many all different industries, in terms of embracing digital transformation.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the discussion was how Brandeleer outlined that what we're doing now isn't just reaction to the pandemic but can also really be building a much more sustainable future as well.

 

"Can we actually sell much more services and our experience, and really think about the impact on the climate when we do this?"

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

 

“I think if you look at optimization right now there is a really deep advantage at moving towards these more advanced services-based relations on a recurring basis,” begins Brandeleer.

“What I mean by this is that if we want to achieve sustainability on this planet, consuming more products is not the way forward. We know that literally every single time you consume anything it's pollution one way or another. When you consume a service, well, there is not always pollution behind it. Going back to outcome-based services, sometimes actually, the outcome can be where the device is going to be more efficient, which is going to consume less energy, which at the end of the day, we make it a more sustainable device.

“The criteria we're going to have to think of is ‘can we use everything that is going right now in the world, especially in the field service world where many of the companies we have as customers, make the world a better place by servicing the device making the product better and keeping the world running.

“Can we use now all the skills we have around us to actually say, ‘Well, you know what COVID-19 that's one thing, but there is also climate change going on?’ I mean, literally three weeks ago in San Francisco, we had a day where it was night during the day, which was pretty disturbing, for sure. I was thinking like, well, these are sharp, guys. I mean, that's where we are going, we need to make sure that we are creating differentiation for services and that we literally stop selling too many products.

“Can we actually sell more services, leverage our knowledge and experience, and really think about the impact on the climate when we do this? Of course, we are not going to stop selling every product out there and for the install base that is 40 years old, actually keeping it running is more polluting than not having a new product. However, for some products, it may be a case of thinking ‘I can keep it for three years more, it's fine’. ‘I'm going to be fine with that, I'm going to maintain the asset to improve the efficiency of the device for two more years and that's going to save us maybe a little bit of steel, a little bit of co2 emission and we can optimise this.

“I think there is really a spot we can reach which this kind of optimal place with a balance between new products and services which by the way, we need to be offered in a trusted relationship style and get to a world where there are no surprises with the product, it's not breaking anymore - but on top of that, actually, it's helping the world to be more sustainable. I think that's really all Holy Grail I would love to reach at one point of time."

 

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Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content Salesforce who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

 

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Further Reading:

• Find the full episode of this interview and the entire back catalogue of The Field Service Podcast @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts
• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
• Read more about the impact of Covid-19 on Field Service @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
• Connect with Gary Brandeleer on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybrandeleer/
• Follow Michael Kuebel on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/garybrandeleer?lang=en
• Find out more about Salesforce Field Service Solutions @ www.salesforce.com/uk/products/service-cloud/field-service-lightning/
• Follow Salesforce on twitter @ twitter.com/salesforce

Konica Minolta has won the BLI PaceSetter Award for Serviceability and Support 2020-2021 in Western Europe awarded by Keypoint Intelligence for the second time.

With Cognito iQ flagged as a platform that supported the win, the recognition honours the OEM that offers the best-designed tools, programs and trainings to enhance the serviceability of its products and services. With its “shift left” approach, Konica Minolta provides systems to empower its clients to help themselves, such as using online trainings or providing support through remote tools.

COGNITO iQ's PLATFORM ALLOWS KONICA MINOLTA TO AUTOMATE THEIR FIELD OPERATION, IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING ERRORS

Leveraging their Cognito iQ-developed platform, Konica Minolta is able to analyse operational performance of its field service in real time. With this “shift left” approach, the issues are solved closer to their origin and field presence of service experts can be reduced significantly. This helps to limit physical contact points which increases safety for customers and technicians, as travel from client to client can be minimised in the time of Covid-19.

Konica Minolta use Cognito iQ to automate and mobilise their field operation, automating previously manual processes, improving efficiency and reducing errors, and giving Konica Minolta real-time information to control the service support operation. In addition to this they have implemented the Cognito iQ analytics platform, OPA, which gives the field service operation live data enabling them to make fact-based decisions on trends in real-time.

“Pursuing a customer-centric approach, Konica Minolta always focuses on the needs of its users for its products and services’, commented Nick Ranson, UK Director of Value Added Services, Konica Minolta Business Solutions UK, “We have a close relationship with Cognito iQ, their expertise and understanding of our operation has helped to redefine service for the UK business. It’s great to see our efforts recognised with this award”.

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about Cognito iQ on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/cognito-iq
• Learn more about Konica Minolta @ www.konicaminolta.co.uk
• Find out more about Cognito iQ @ www.cognitoiq.com
• Follow Cognito iQ on Twitter @ twitter.com/Cognito_iQ
• Follow Cognito iQ on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/cognito-